Does Bo Nix still have real competition as the Broncos’ starting QB?

With the end of OTAs and training camps still weeks away, a lot of questions are circulating around the NFL. Charles McDonald is taking them on this summer.

The Denver Broncos have entered a new era. The acquisition of Russell Wilson turned into nothing except the largest dead cap number in NFL history, forcing their hand into a rebuild where they drafted a new franchise quarterback: Oregon’s Bo Nix with the 12th pick in the draft .

This selection was controversial, to say the least. Nix wasn’t really connected to anyone outside of the Broncos before the draft, mostly due to concerns about his perceived ceiling at the NFL level. However, none of that really matters now. Nix is ​​the Broncos’ quarterback of the future — and based on the quarterbacks around him, he’s probably the quarterback of now, too.

Nix joins Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson in the Broncos’ quarterback room. Stidham started the final two games of last season after replacing Russell Wilson, posting a 31.0 quarterback rating (out of 100) for the season. Zach Wilson was the Jets’ starter for most of last season after Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury, posting a 30.8 QBR. To say the least, Wilson and Stidham have struggled to this point and are the only ones holding Nix back from becoming the starting quarterback.

It’s fair to ask: Is this even a real quarterback competition? These players have been established as non-starting talents in the NFL. Neither Stidham nor Wilson are veteran players a team would trust to hold down the position for a while, like the Patriots are doing with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye. These guys are confirmed backups at best. It really seems like the Broncos have every intention of making Nix the starting quarterback without much competition.

There are generally two ways to look at how teams should handle their rookie quarterbacks. One: The Broncos should sign Nix during the season to let him sit behind a veteran (who they really don’t have) so he can learn the game and how to be a pro. Two: throw Nix into the fire and let him learn on the fly. Neither school of thought is necessarily wrong, but Nix clearly finds himself in a position where he will be a starter for most of his rookie year. It’s also fair to wonder if the Broncos should be concerned about the idea of ​​sitting Nix, considering his age (24).

For better or worse, this is Nix’s job to lose. Coach Sean Payton scouted him in the draft and praised him at every turn when asked about him this offseason. His fate is tied to Nix, which seems like a huge leap of faith considering where most people ranked him before the draft.

Of course, everyone could be wrong and Nix is ​​really Drew Brees 2.0, which would make asking any questions about this process quite funny. Either way, Nix will undoubtedly face a tough rookie year on a rebuilding team in one of the league’s toughest divisions.